Drawer-operated closure



Jan. 4, 1966 A. J. J. AMBAUM 3,227,505 DRAWER-OPERATED CLOSURE Filed Nov. 29, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A. J. J. AMBAUM 3,227,505

DRAWER-OPERATED CLOSURE Jan. 4, 1966 Filed Nov. 29, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .m dm

INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,227,505 DRAWER-OPERATED CLOSURE Antonius J. J. Ambaum, Steyl-Tegelen, Netherlands, as-

signor to N.V. Briefhouder-en Papierwarenfabriek PAS, Reuver (L), Netherlands, a limited-liability corporation of the Netherlands Filed Nov. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 326,967 Claims priority, applicatipn6liietherlands, Nov. 30, .1962,

8 72 2 Claims. (Cl. 312311) The present invention relates to an improved case or container comprising a pull-out-drawer, a slidable plate parallel to one of the case side walls, which, by cooperation of a pin attached to the drawer and a connecting member applied to the plate consisting of a resilient strip provided with a finger-shaped projection, can be moved. A closing flap is rotatable along the upper edge of this case or container, and said flap can be opened and closed by the movement of the plate. A guide member is attached to the side wall of the case or container for the plate to be shifted.

Such a case or container is known from Netherlands Patent No. 68,363 of July 1951. With this known case or container it appeared that the flap is always somewhat in the downward position, when the contents had been taken out. This has two important disadvantages:

When taking out the drawer with the grip the front side of the flap shifts over the contents highly piled up in the drawer, whereas when putting back the drawer the top side of the contents bumps against the front side of the open inclined flap. These disadvantages are obviated according to the present invention in that the plate at the lower side, shifting into the guide member, is provided with a lip-shaped member being resilient in the vertical plane and in that the plate opposite to this lip-shaped member is provided at the top side with a heightened portion so that after the setting free of this heightened portion from the case and by the vibratory movement of the plate by the action of the lip-shaped member the closing flap is brought into a horizontal position.

According to the invention the plate is also provided with a stop applied on the side plane hereof beyond the front end of the finger-shaped projection for limiting relative displacement of the plate and the guide member. The stop position of the plate has also been changed so that the lip-shaped member of the plate when pushing in the drawer is located in a recess in the guide plane of the guide member.

According to the present invention the following advantages are obtained:

The plate can be built in any box, so that it becomes superfluous to make diflFerent measure embodiments;

The plate with the resilient lip-shaped member can be replaced in a simple way with a necessary replacement, if any. This was formerly not possible, as said plate should always touch the back, so that the front was not set free.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the case, in which part has been broken away;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the plate with the guide member in which this plate is in the pushed in position of the drawer;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the plate and the guide member, in which the drawer has been pulled out.

Patented Jan. 4, 1966 ICC In the drawing the case has been indicated at 1, the drawer at 2 and the closing flap at 3. The drawer 2 is provided with a grip 4, which projects outwardly through a recess 5 of the flap 3, when the drawer is closed.

To the side wall 6 of the case a guide member 19 has been fixed and herein a plate 7 is slidable in the same direction as the drawer 2 and coupled therewith over a determined distance. The front edge 8 of this slidable plate 7 has the shape of a quarter of a circle 9, by which the flap 3 is gradually opened during the coming out of the plate and at the end of this quarter of a circle 9 a heightened portion 16 is provided at the top of the plate 7. so that the flap 3 is gradually opened during the coming out of the plate 7 and is horizontally supported by the plate in the completely opened position, and also when the drawer is entirely removed.

The plate 7 has at the lower side opposite to the heightened portion 16 a resilient lip 18. When the plate 7 is pushed outwards and the heightened portion 16 is set free from the top of the case, this plate 7 springs upwards, so that one may be ensured that the flap 3, is in the completely horizontal position.

In the guide path of the guide member 19 for the plate 7 a recess 18 is provided, by which a stop position for the plate 7 is obtained, in that the resilient lip 15 contacts the raised border of said recess during its movement. The

plate 7 can be built in any case without requiring different sizes. The plate 7 can also be changed in a simple way for a necessary replacement, if any, because by lifting of the lip-shaped member 15 the plate 7 can be completely pushed backwards and finally can be taken out of the guide path of the guide member 19.

The plate 7 is also provided with a blocking cam 17, which may be brought into cooperation with the back 13 of the guide member 19, to counteract the finger-shaped member 11, 12 attached to the plate 7 from being bent out too far.

The movement of the plate 7 takes place here by means of a pin 10 applied on the drawer 2, said pin constituting a coupling with a resilient strip 11 on the plate. The strip may be bent out transversely to the direction of movement of the plate. The strip 11 is provided with a finger-shaped projection 12, which in the closed position of the drawer grips the pin 10. When pulling out the drawer 2 it is entrained by the plate, until the strip 11 bumps against the edge 13 of the guide member 19 and moves up against said member, by which the strip bends out laterally and the finger 12 releases the pin. In this position of the plate the front edge thereof has come so far outwards, that the flap 3 has been lifted completely. which position consequently remains unchanged when further pulling out the drawer, since the connection be tween drawer and plate has been broken.

What is claimed is:

1. A case comprising a pull-out-drawer, a slidable plate parallel to one of the side walls of said case, a pin attached to said drawer, a connecting member applied to said plate having a resilient strip provided with a fingershaped projection cooperating with said pin to move said plate, a closing flap rotatable along the upper edge of said case opened and closed by the movement of said plate, a guide member attached to the side wall of said case for said plate, a lip-shaped member resilient in the vertical plane of said plate on said plate at its lower side, said plate opposite to said lip-shaped member having at its top side a heightened portion so that after said FOREIGN PATENTS heightened portion is set free from the case and by the movement of said plate by the action of said lip-shaped 135571 11/1902 Germanymember said closing flap is brought into horizontal posi- 187655 7/1907 Germanytion, 5 200,847 7/1908 Germany.

2. A case according to claim 1 wherein said plate is 68,363 9 N t erlandsprovided with a stop on its side beyond the front end of 27,938 9/ 1903 Z andsaid finger-shaped projecting member for limiting relative displacement of said plate and guide member. CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CASE COMPRISING A PULL-OUT-DRAWER, A SLIDABLE PLATE PARALLEL TO ONE OF THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID CASE, A PIN ATTACHED TO SAID DRAWER, A CONNECTING MEMBER APPLIED TO SAID PLATE HAVING A RESILIENT STRIP PROVIDED WITH A FINGERSHAPED PROJECTION COOPERATING WITH SAID PIN TO MOVE SAID PLATE, A CLOSING FLAP ROTATABLE ALONG THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID CASE OPENED AND CLOSED BY THE MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATE, A GUIDE MEMBER ATTACHED TO THE SIDE WALL OF SAID CASE FOR SAID PLATE, A LIP-SHAPED MEMBER RESILIENT IN THE VERTICAL PLANE OF SAID PLATE ON SAID PLATE AT ITS LOWER SIDE, SAID PLATE OPPOSITE TO SAID LIP-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING AT ITS TOP SIDE A HEIGHTENED PORTION SO THAT AFTER SAID HEIGHTENED PORTION IS SET FREE FROM THE CASE AND BY THE MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATE BY THE ACTION OF SAID LIP-SHAPED MEMBER SAID CLOSING FLAP IS BROUGHT INTO HORIZONTAL POSITION. 